AlienVault’s Open Threat Exchange

National security strategies frequently stress the need and desirability for information sharing to counter cyber security threats. But while they have few concrete proposals, business is going ahead on its own.

AlienVault, creator and manager of the OSSIM open source SIEM platform, has launched the AlienVault Open Threat Exchange (AV-OTX); a cloud-based threat intelligence sharing system. The potential security value of this development comes from the combination of cloud sourcing, the combined number of OSSIM and AlienVault users, and the very nature of open source SIEM technology.

Cloud makes it globally available. The combined number of existing OSSIM and AlienVault SIEM users is in excess of 18000. The nature of SIEM means that threats aren’t limited to one particular type. And it’s “free to all who share,” says AlienVault’s CTO Roger Thornton.